Senior Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Monday announced that he will not host a talk show on 'Sansad TV' to protest the suspension of Opposition Rajya Sabha MPs, demanding immediate revocation of the "arbitrary" decision, a day after Shiv Sena's Priyanka Chaturvedi said she would not be hosting her show on the channel anymore.
Tharoor also found fault with the way Sansad TV is telecasting the proceedings of Parliament, accusing it of whitewashing the reality "by focussing on MPs of the ruling side while ignoring the Opposition".
The Congress MP was hosting 'To the Point', conversations with non-political eminent personalities including filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and VSSC Director Dr S Somnath, while suspended Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka was hosting 'Meri Kahani', a show in which women MPs shared their stories.
They were the only two MPs who were hosting shows in the revamped Sansad TV, which also have economist Bibey Debroy, the government's principal economic adviser Sanjeev Sanyal and Niti Ayog CEO Amitabh Kant as anchors of programmes.
In a statement, Tharoor said he has decided to suspend hosting of his show "until such time as the suspensions of MPs are revoked and a semblance of bipartisanship restored to the conduct of Parliament and the functioning of Sansad TV".
The Thiruvananthapuram MP said he accepted Sansad TV's invitation to host a show, as political differences do not prevent MPs from participating in various Parliamentary institutions.
"However, the prolonged suspension of 12 MPs from the Rajya Sabha, expelled in an arbitrary manner for actions committed during a previous session, has called into question the very assumption of a bipartisan spirit animating the work of Parliament," he said.
"As an MP who has gone to the protesters (MPs sitting at Gandhi Statue in Parliament) and express my solidarity with them, I am concerned that my continued involvement in hosting a show on Sansad TV would be seen as making me complicit in the undemocratic manner in which Parliamentary institutions are being run," he said.
"Sadly, Sansad TV itself has been accused of being part of the problem, as adverse comments have been made by many on its habit of having cameras focus on the members of Treasury benches while ignoring the Opposition. A parliamentary TV must, by definition, reflect the diversity of Parliament and not merely whitewash the reality of Parliament's current functioning," he said.
In a letter to Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu, Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said that with "great anguish but with a sense of responsibility", she has decided to step down as an anchor of the show, as she was "unwilling to occupy space on Sansad TV for a show but being denied space on it (Parliament) for discharging parliamentary duties to arbitrary suspension of us 12 MPs."
Priyanka said her suspension was "arbitrary" and has "totally disregarded established Parliamentary norms and rules to stifle my voice, my party's voice inside the Chamber".
"That this suspension also chose to disregard my parliamentary track record and my contribution beyond the call of duty so as to give a platform to women parliamentarians to share their journey, I believe injustice has been done but as it is considered valid in the eyes of the chair, I must respect it," she said.